


Fire-Speaker

by Maewn



Series: Beyond the reaches of Sea, Sky and Stars [9]
Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen, Lore - Freeform, Storytelling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-25
Updated: 2020-05-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:40:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24364459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maewn/pseuds/Maewn
Summary: A tale told of the very first Paragon, during the spring-tide festival in a time before dark magic came to be.
Series: Beyond the reaches of Sea, Sky and Stars [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1283243
Comments: 2
Kudos: 40





	Fire-Speaker

**The Age of Earth, ten years prior to the discovery of Dark magic, Caer Gwyneth, first citadel of the Startouch**

The music rings through the air, warm and bright as the lights strewn from the white branches that shimmer themselves.

The towers of the Startouch, Archmage Samos notes, shine like the elves to whom they grant shelter.

“You did not want to join the dancing?” a voice calls.

Samos looks down from their perch. They pointedly raise a wing.

“A little hard to dance when I must confine myself,” they say.

Archmage Elleth snorts, her grey eyes amused. “Indeed.”

The Tide-bound elf is wearing robes of rich blue today, small embroidered waves just visible on the edges of her sleeves. She leans against the trunk of the tree, the sunlight glimmering off her aquamarine circlet. “For all their aloofness, the Startouch do know how to throw a party.”

“Festival,” Samos corrects. “And it’s not all fun and games.”

“Yes, that ceremony this morning said as much,” Elleth says, shivering.

Samos nods, remembering the deep, sonorous chanting of the elves, the blood that pooled into the ritual well, and the keening song of star-moths as they fluttered overhead. There had been a chill wind rising that had made Samos’s pinfeathers ache.

Whatever ceremonies that the Startouch held at the turn of spring, Samos could go a few lifetimes without attending again.

“ _Thou wilt not join in the celebrations?”_ a soft voice asks.

Samos glances over, finding the Lady Altumanina, her hands folded before her, her star-moth fluttering its wings from its perch upon her silvery head.

“We will rejoin soon,” they say politely, “we are not used to such festivities.”

The Lady laughs, merriment bright in her golden eyes. _“Thou shouldst join more often, thou wilt develop the stamina needed to dance the night away.”_

“Lady,” Elleth says, “Will you be joining the great council in a fortnight?”

Lady Altumanina nods, _“I shall. This rising threat of humanity must be halted ere it spell our doom. There art portents that speak of ill days to come, and the future is clouded despite our prayers to the Three.”_

Samos opens their mouth to reply, but a child’s voice calls out, cutting them off.

“ _Honored Lady! Honored Lady!”_ A small Startouch elfling with blue eyes and short, silver hair runs up to the Lady. _“It’s almost time for the Speaking!”_

“ _Is it?”_ Lady Altumanina asks, _“I fear I’ve lost track of time. My thanks for reminding me, Calthion.”_

Calthion beams, _“I’ve come to escort you, Honored Lady.”_

“ _Thou art a very kind elfling,”_ Lady Altumanina says, taking their tiny hand, _“_ _Come, let us depart.”_

“ _Will the Archmages be joining for the Speaking, Honored Lady?”_ Calthion asks.

“ _I pray that they might,”_ Lady Altumanina says, turning her gaze to the two Archmages present.

“We would be delighted,” Elleth says, and Samos nods agreement, drifting down from their perch.

“ _Wonderful,”_ Lady Altumanina says, beckoning the two to follow as she allows Calthion to escort her away.

Many Startouch step aside as Altumanina passes, offering her slight bows and smiles. A few call out greetings, and Samos catches a brief glimpse of Aaravos and Ladwyr dancing in the plaza as the group walks past, seemingly ignorant to all around them.

Samos has heard rumors of a wedding being planned, though they know that Startouch court their chosen partners for at least fifty years before actually wedding. Either way, they will wait to see the outcome.

Altumanina heads into a small courtyard that is surrounded by towering white birch trees draped in blue and gold ribbons. There are already at least twenty children gathered, sitting on the many cushions that are arranged around the courtyard.

Altumanina takes a seat on a round green cushion in the middle, and Samos and Elleth settle onto a nearby bench to listen.

“ _Good afternoon, children,”_ Lady Altumanina says.

“ _Good afternoon, Honored Lady,”_ the children chorus back. One child is a little slow on the uptake, their voice a few seconds behind everyone else.

Soft giggling follows and even Lady Altumanina laughs.

Silence settles after a few minutes, the only noise the distant singing in the plaza.

“ _Now, let us speak of why we hold this day apart, and why we honor those who walk now with the Blessed Stars,”_ Lady Altumanina says, smiling fondly on the children that surround her.

“ _O Tamas, Wisest of the Three, O Thanna, M_ _other_ _of Light, O Tolth, Defender and Guardian, Guide our voice to truth, and keep sacred words untainted by falsehoods,”_ Altumanina intones, her words heavy with power.

“ _Let it be so,”_ the children reply in unison.

“ _In that time, so very long ago,”_ Alutmanina says, _“we had no word for_ _a Paragon_ _. We simply called those who were the most powerful among us, Speakers. For it seemed, at least to us, that they spoke for the magic that_ _had_ _birthed them._

“ _Our Speaker then was ‘Amal, or hope, for they were the bright guiding light of our people. Their eyes were as lightning, their hair dark as a raven’s wing, and their heart as gentle as a spring breeze. But, this is not ‘Amal’s legend but of their Speaker-sibling, Anaïs._

_Anais was of the Sun, a woman of deep passion and strength of heart._

_One night, Anais dreamt of a great calamity befalling the world._ _Of a great battle between divines, and the world torn asunder in their wake._

 _Anais awoke with terror and seeking her fellow Speakers, found that all_ _had_ _shared the dream,_ _though none could offer a solution to their fears._

 _In this time, so long ago, our Gods still dwelt among us,_ _in what we now call Nexii, scattered over the continent._ _Having found no resolution from speaking with one another, each Speaker thusly_ _traveled to their own Gods, to seek Their counsel._

 _Anais therefore sought to speak with the Sun Goddess, Aaura, who made Her home in the crater of the boiling volcano,_ _C_ _anna’_ _Sol_ _._

_Upon reaching the crater’s heart, where Aaura sat in meditation, Anais bowed low before Her._

“ _Why have you come to me, my daughter?” Aaura asked._

‘ _O Aaura,’ Anais said, bowing low, ‘I have dreamt of a great calamity that shall befall_ _the world_ _, and I know of no way to combat_ _it.”_

_The Goddess listened to Anais speak of her dream and considered her words before She spoke, “A great and terrible shadow has crept from the darkness from which the world was born, a serpent named Anak, They-who-devour-Light._

_We Gods have faced them before, and we shall do so again, but We cannot leave the world unguarded, for We shall need all of Our might to battle Our foe.” Aaura’s eyes then fell heavily upon Her daughter, “The Speakers must stand as One, to protect their world.”_

‘ _I will gladly stand in defense of my people,’ Anais said earnestly. ‘I-’_

_Great Aaura raised a hand to stop her words. “To protect this world, the Speakers must sacrifice one of their own, for to stand as the focus of such an effort, is to surrender one’s very lifethread, to be unwoven from creation, to never again walk this green world.”_

_Hearing this, Anais paled. But her heart was true, and her loyalty to her people strong._

‘ _If no one else shall stand as the focus,’ she said, ‘I shall.’_

“ _You are brave, my daughter,” Aaura said, and Her hand touched Anais’s head. “Go forth with My blessing.”_

 _So Anais journeyed_ _from that sacred place_ _,_ _reuniting with her fellows in Caer Elmet, the Startouch citadel that stands nearest to Luna’Stellaris, where_ _shining_ _Nemrii sleeps in Her palace of moonbeams._

 _F_ _or six days and nights, the Speakers sat in council, sharing what they had each learned from their Gods._ _All knew the price to be paid to keep their world safe, whilst their Gods warred in the heavens,_ _yet none could agree as to who would take the place of focus._

 _C_ _e_ _ras_ _, of the Earth-blooded, was, at length, deemed too young, having only been Speaker for ten years._ _Lethe, of the Tide-bound, declared that by such logic, then the eldest of Speakers, Vendrii, of the Skywing, should be also excluded, as they were old and could possibly fail in their task._

 _Thusly did the Speakers continue to argue, until on the seventh night, the Lady Imarie, who founded this very citadel,_ _cast forth her own divination to determine who would take up that fateful mantle._

_A_ _nd by this divination, Anais was chosen._

_In the spring of that year,_ _the great Serpent, Anak,_ _They-who-devour-Light, challenged the Gods, and as our Divines warred in the heavens, our Speakers stood as our Guardians._

_Upon the Sacred mountain, where the Dragon Queen roosts, the Speakers gathered, each calling upon their Arcanum and together, with Anais as their focus, cast a shield to protect us all._

_Anais, strong in her faith, held all Sources at once, a sight to behold._

_The war of the Gods raged for twelve days, and upon that final day, A_ _au_ _ra, Lady of Fire, struck Serpent’s head from its neck, whilst Enkii, Lord of Stone, and Akaara, Lady of Sky, held the Serpent’s coils._ _Nemrii, Lady of Moonlight, swiftly divided the Serpent into pieces, and_ _Celedrine, They-of-the-Shifting Tide, cast each piece in the air, where the Three_ _destroyed them._

_When this was done, each of Gods returned to Their homes, for They were weary from Their battle._

_B_ _ut upon the Sacred mountain, the Speakers knelt in mourning, for Anais had passed from the world._

_It was then, that Aaura came to Them, and took Anais’s body into Her keeping._

“ _She was the bravest of my daughters, and so she shall be honored,” Aaura decreed. “_ _Among your numbers, each Age, shall come to you a Paragon, one to wield the Six Sources as their birthright. But be warned, each Age will bring another peril to this world, one that your Paragon will face as their destiny.”_

 _T_ _husly, the Goddess departed, and it is said, that Aaura rewove Anais’s spirit upon_ _H_ _er fiery loom, crafting her anew, honored as sentinel of the Goddess.”_

 _The Speakers too, departed for their homes,_ _each_ _taking the title of Archmage,_ _a Protector of their people, in honor of Anais’s sacrifice.”_

Altumanina pauses, _“We hold this day apart, at the turn of spring, to remember the sacrifice that Paragon Anais made to save us all. We honor her,_ _and as the sun fades this eve, we shall sing_ _of her legend until the moon rises to its height.”_

Soft clapping follows the end of her tale, and Samos and Elleth add their own applause.

“I forgot that Canna was named after the Nexus,” Elleth whispers.

“It’s considered an honor,” Archmage Canna says from behind them, “To be named after such a sacred place.”

Samos almost falls off the bench in surprise.

“When did you get here?” they hiss.

“Been here since about halfway through the tale,” Canna says airily, “I was wondering where you two had gone off to. The banquet is starting in an hour.Are you coming?”

“We’ll be along shortly,” Elleth says. “We must bid the Lady farewell. It would be impolite to slip away unannounced.”

Canna snorts. “Suit yourself,” she says as she walks away, ducking through the trees.

Samos and Elleth rise, weaving through the crowd of departing children, though some are staying to speak with the Lady.

“ _Didst thou enjoy the tale?”_ Altumanina asks.

“We did,” Samos says, “though we must leave you to prepare for the banquet.”

“ _Ah,”_ Altumanina says, nodding. _“We pray the rest of the festivities art to thy liking.”_

Her face brightens as she looks past them, _“Thou didst not wish to join us, Paragon?”_

“ _I was otherwise occupied,_ _dear Lady,”_ comes Aaravos’s smooth reply.

“ _Dancing with the Archmage Ladwyr, no doubt?”_ Altumanina says mischievously.

“ _I know not of what thou speak of,”_ Aaraovs says, gliding forward to stand beside Samos. _“Besides, I have heard the tale oft enough to speak it in my sleep.”_

“ _Thou art studied enough then, to Speak it yourself,”_ Altumanina says. _“Mayhaps thou might Speak of it to the children next year?”_

Aaravos sighs, though at this close of a distance, Samos can see the amusement in his eyes.

“ _Mayhaps.”_

“ _Excellent,”_ Altumanina beams, and makes a shooing gesture towards them. _“Go on, thou must prepare for the banquet, thou canst not delay.”_

Aaravos chuckles, _“Of course, we shall see thee hence, Lady.”_

“ _Thou shalt not be late, Paragon. Thou remember last spring, I trust.”_

“ _I know not of what events that thou speak of,”_ Aaravos calls over his shoulder, steering the other Archmages away from the courtyard.

“Was that when you-” Elleth begins to ask.

“ _We shall not speak of it,”_ Aaravos hisses in an undertone.

Ladwyr rejoins them in a dark gown that fades from a rich purple to blue, a moonstone circlet crowning her pale hair.

“You aren’t dressed yet?” she asks.

“We were listening to the Speaking,” Elleth explains.

Ladwyr blanches, “Oh no, I forgot that was _today_!”

“ _There will be another Speaking this evening,”_ Aaravos says, _“Though it is more song than tale.”_

Ladwyr sighs in relief. “Oh, good.”

“I think I will pass on that one,” Elleth says, “I need the sleep.”

“ _Fair,”_ Aaravos says. _“Archmages are not required to attend, though as Startouch Archmage, I must.”_

“You can sleep in tomorrow,” Samos says.

Aaravos nods, _“Very true.”_

The group passes the plaza where another circling dance has begun, voices raised in joy and laughter.

Aaravos waves away a few requests for him to join, smiling brightly.

Among his people, he blends in, one tall, pale-haired figure among many. Beside the other Archmages, he towers over them, both in power and height.

To be a Paragon, Samos reflects, is to always stand apart in one way or another.They wonder what peril Aaravos will face, given the words of the ancient story—“ _But be warned, each Age will bring another peril to this world, one that your Paragon will face as their destiny.”_

Maybe it was the issue that would be discussed at the next council meeting in a fortnight?

Samos rolls the matter around in their head for a few minutes, before tabling it for another night. Tonight is a night for celebration, they think, not for worrying.


End file.
